Rigth to Work protesters line the steps of the Capitol Biuilding in Lansing this morning. Dec. 11, 2012. The Oakland Press/DOUG BAUMAN

Teachers from many Oakland County school districts joined the protesters at Michigan Capitol to day to voice their objections against Right-to-Work legislation.

However, unlike some districts in Macomb and Wayne counties, none of the Oakland County schools closed so teachers could take part in the demonstrations.

Among the Oakland County districts represented by teachers who are members of the Michigan Education Association were Hazel Park, Troy, Clawson, Ferndale, Pontiac, Rochester and Madison, said Aimee McKeever, president of the Pontiac MEA, who was one of the marshals for the 20,000 protesters.

There also were MEA staff members from Oakland County, McKeever said.

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"I've been here since 6 a.m.," said McKeever, who was helping people get off buses at the staging area at Lansing City Hall near the Capitol, training them and getting them on the street.

"We had well over 200 buses with union members from all over the state," as well as from around the United States, McKeever said.

"The very first bus was from Maryland; the Laborers International Union of North America. Others came from Wisconsin, New Jersey, Maryland, Iowa and Illinois.

The MEA provided training for marshals Monday night, McKeever said.

"This was one of the proudest of moments I've had as a union member; this mass solidarity," the Pontiac union president said. "It was a very peaceful demonstration, a very successful demonstration."

However, she was "very disappointed" that the vote was in favor of the right-to-work legislation, which prohibits unions from collecting dues from employees who are not members.

McKeever, also was upset, "that this was done in such a manner that was not transparent and did not reflect the voice of the people."

McKeever said none of Oakland County's school districts closed, as they did in Warren and Fitzgerald districts in Macomb County and Taylor in Wayne.

A limited number of teachers from Oakland County districts, however, were granted a personal day to attend the protests, she said.

Warren Consolidated Schools and Fitzgerald Public Schools canceled all classes Tuesday because hundreds of unionized teachers took the day off to participate in the Lansing protest.

Protesters gathered the state Capitol began chanting "veto" when word spread that the House approved a measure that would weaken union power in the historical labor stronghold.

Demonstrators gathered Tuesday in the rotunda chanted "No veto, no peace," and, "The people united will never be defeated," after the House approved the first of two bills that would make Michigan the nation's 24th right-to-work state.

The measure would ban requirements for nonunion employees to pay unions for negotiating contracts and other services.

Earlier, hundreds of demonstrators packed all four levels of the rotunda, chanting "Union!" and "What's disgusting? Union-busting!" They stomped their feet and banged hard hats together.

Following the vote, state troopers continued guarding House and Senate chamber entrances as protesters clogged the Capitol steps outside.

Kathy Trongo, MEA Uniserve director in Port Huron, said MEA President Steve Cook was one of the union leaders meeting with Gov. Rick Snyder' for several months, and "they had no indication that he was for right-to-work legislation.

"They were trying to work out negotiations. It makes people feel they can't trust this man," said Trongo.